PRT SALAH AD DIN: NEW PROVINCIAL RECONCILIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000401 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ECON PINS IZ SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: NEW PROVINCIAL RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE VOICES CONCERNS ABOUT NATIONAL RECONCILIATION EFFORTS Classified By: PRT Salah ad Din Team Leader Steven Buckler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Tikrit, Salah ad Din cable. ¶2. (C) Summary: During its inaugural meeting on February 6, members of the recently-formed 24-member Salah ad Din (SaD) Provincial Committee for the Promotion of National Reconciliation - the provincial-level equivalent of the GoI's Implementation and Follow up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR) - raised their objections to the recently passed De-Baathification law and other pieces of the national reconciliation process. Committee members expressed anger that provincial leaders' views on de-Baathification had been inadequately represented by SaD Council of Representative (CoR) members, and that the new law could potentially remove the Governor, Deputy Governor, and numerous police officers from their positions. To curb memberships in insurgent groups, the Commander of SaD's Joint Communications Center called for developing an amnesty program to help former insurgents' reintegration into society. Formed several days earlier, the Committee is comprised of a broad, geographic cross-section of SaD provincial leaders and has a mandate to provide guidance to the GoI's IFCNR on key pieces of the national reconciliation process. End Summary. ¶3. (C) Created in early February in response to a mandate from the GoI's Implementation and Follow up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR),the Provincial Committee for the Promotion of National Reconciliation is charged with providing guidance to the GoI on key pieces of the national reconciliation process. The Committee has 24 members and is co-chaired by SaD Tribal Support Council Chair Sheikh Khamis Jabara, Provincial Council (PC) member Yousif Suleiman, Dean of the Tikrit Law School Amer Ayaash, and Security and Tribal Affairs Leader Sheikh Khalid. The remaining members are PC members, tribal sheikhs, and other government officials. The Committee has divided its work by forming seven subcommittees: Constitutional and Elections; Accountability and Justice; Abolished Institutions; Support Council; Displaced Persons; Supreme Judicial; and Tribal issues. ¶4. (C) During the meeting, many committee members raised their concerns with the recently passed Accountability and Justice Law. SaD PC member Suleiman noted that many Salah ad Din officials felt the law was unjust and severe, but said all must abide by the new provisions. He said the reconciliation committee would use existing loopholes in the law to mitigate what they consider to be severe measures. ¶5. (C) Dean of the Tikrit Law School Amer Ayaash criticized SaD Council of Representatives (CoR) members for not seeking more input from provincial leaders before the law was passed (Note: Most SaD provincial officials have a low opinion of SaD CoR members who rarely visit Salah ad Din. End Note) Dean Amer also chastised SaD PC Chair Sheik Rasheed Osman for inadequate efforts to represent Salah ad Din's views on de-Baathification to CoR representatives. He noted that under the new law many provincial officials could potentially lose their jobs, including 450 SaD police officers, Governor Hamood, and Deputy Governor Abdulla. ¶6. (C) Brigadier General Issa, Commander of SaD's Joint Communications Center, spoke forcefully for the need to provide amnesty for current insurgency members. He cited Kirkuk's amnesty program as a success, which he argued has provided an opportunity for insurgents to give up their weapons, serve a two month probationary period, and maintain their full rights as citizens. He asked for USG support to establish a similar program in Salah ad Din. ¶7. (C) The Committee co-chairs requested that all subcommittees report back in one week with concrete and realistic proposals for actions that could be submitted to Baghdad. The co-chairs also discussed the option of establishing reconciliation sub-committees in each of the province's cities. ¶8. (C) Comment: Given its past history as the center of Saddam Hussein's power base and its own perception of playing a diminished role in the new Iraq, Salad ad Din has a great deal to gain from national reconciliation. Provincial officials recognize this and are committed to communicating their views to Baghdad. One surprising and positive note is the wide geographic representation on the Committee. Full participation by tribal sheiks is further evidence that provincial officials are being inclusive in their work and recognize the role sheiks have to play. While De-Baathification-related issues will naturally take center stage in Salah ad Din, the Province for the first time is BAGHDAD 00000401 002 OF 002 showing real interest in communicating their views on "big picture" issues before the GoI. However, the repeated requests from Committee members for PRT intervention and assistance indicate that provincial officials are still not confident in their ability to plead their case effectively to Baghdad. End Comment CROCKER